Why the races to succeed Krishnamoorthi, Schakowsky in Congress are packed
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to remove David Abrevaya as a candidate in the 9th District race. He has dropped out of the contest.
The announcements that Democratic U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Jan Schakowsky would not run for reelection to their suburban districts created a deluge of hopefuls seeking to succeed them in 2026.
A field of eight Democrats and one Republican have announced intentions to run in Krishnamoorthi’s 8th District, and 13 Democrats and two Republicans say they’ll run in Schakowsky’s 9th.
Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield, said the departure of an incumbent almost always increases the number of primary candidates.
But in addition to that, Illinois is experiencing a weakening of party organizations that historically have limited competition by slating candidates and enforcing party loyalty.
“This encourages individuals to try to take advantage of opportunities to run in races where incumbency is not a factor,” Redfield said. “Social media also facilitates both communication and fundraising outside of the traditional political party network.”
However, there remains a clear division between viable candidates and those whose campaigns likely will end before the voting begins, he added.
“The quality of the candidate or the strength of the candidate’s issue positions are irrelevant if no one knows or cares that they are running,” Redfield said.
Key dates for candidates include Sept. 15 and Jan. 31, when financial disclosure reports must be filed with the Federal Election Commission, and Nov. 3, when paperwork and petition signatures are due to the State Board of Elections, Redfield said.
Melissa Mouritsen, a political science professor at the College of DuPage, said Illinois’ signature requirement is relatively low, making campaign funding one of the best indicators of who the serious contenders are.
She cited a 2022 study by the University of California-Irvine that looked at congressional candidates from 1980 to 2020. It found that experienced candidates are more likely to recognize fundraising deficiencies earlier and drop out sooner.
Among those who hope to replace Krishnamoorthi, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Dick Durbin, are two of his former staffers: Cook County Board Commissioner Kevin B. Morrison and Hanover Park Village Trustee Yasmeen Bankole.
Also indicating plans to run: Junaid Ahmed, who challenged Krishnamoorthi in the 2022 Democratic primary; Republican Mark Rice, who challenged him in the 2024 general election; and Democratic newcomers Sanjyot Dunung, Neil Khot, Christ Kallas, Ryan Vetticad and Dan Tully.
Democrats in the 9th District race include: state Sen. Laura Fine of Glenview; state Sen. Mike Simmons of Chicago; state Rep. Khai-Hoan Huynh of Chicago; Evanston Mayor and former state senator Daniel Biss; and Skokie School District 73.5 board member Bushra Amiwala.
Democratic newcomers Katherine M. Abughazaleh, Miracle Jenkins, Bruce Leon, Lauren Million, Howard Rosenblum, Bethany Johnson and Philip Jerome Andrew also have announced plans to seek the retiring Schakowsky’s seat.
Republicans Rocio Cleveland and Dongbro Mark Su also are running.
While there’s not enough data to handicap the primaries, Redfield said Abughazaleh — a 26-year-old social media influencer — and the current and former members of the state legislature have an edge in the 9th District.
“These are the obvious candidates who should pass the visibility threshold and have a shot at passing the viability threshold where the media, the political pros, and the public are taking their candidacies seriously,” he said.
“ (Abughazaleh) is the only candidate who has raised money in the six-figure range,” Redfield added. “This is a perfect example of the shift to a more candidate-centered election process. In the Daley era, no one would have taken an out-of-stater with no ties to the Cook County Democrats running for Congress seriously, and they would have been right.”
Mouritsen said Leon’s lending himself $610,000 probably marks the Chicago 50th Ward Democratic committeeman as another serious candidate.
“Money isn't everything,” she said. “But (Abughazaleh) seems to have progressive street cred because of her work for Media Matters. Progressives would love another AOC (New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), but it will depend on what the district wants. Schakowsky is vice chair of the progressive caucus, so just maybe.”